1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to means for inspecting the condition of tires and, more particularly, is concerned with an apparatus and method for inspecting the inflation of and supported weight on inflated vehicle tires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tire should be inflated to a certain pressure to achieve an optimum degree of performance and safety. The inflation of the tire should be within preset maximum and minimum limits. The supported weight on the tire also affects the tire's performance, safety and fuel efficiency or consumption. The weight of a vehicle should be distributed as evenly as possible in order for each tire of the vehicle to carry as close to the same portion of the total weight of the vehicle as other tires of the vehicle. Any cargo in or on the vehicle should be arranged so as to provide for as even a distribution of weight as possible. A tire should be inspected from time to time to ensure that the pressure in it and the weight on it is appropriate for the tire.
A variety of apparatuses have been developed over the years for inspecting the condition of tires on and off vehicles. Representative examples of prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,464 to Breedijk, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,321 to Kajikawa et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,166 to Wada et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,590 and 5,174,151 to Adachi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,520 to Muhs et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,718 to Mousseau, U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,588 to Wilson, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,396,817 and 5,445,020 to Rosensweig, U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,839 to Chen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,900 to Di Bernardo et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,810 to Bass. While these prior art apparatuses appear satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide a comprehensive and yet simple solution for the need at hand.
Consequently, a need remains for an apparatus which provides a more desirable solution to the aforementioned need in the prior art without introducing any problems in place thereof.